Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Harare, Nov 19, 2009 (The Herald/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- ZIMBABWE will early next year have the privilege of hosting one of the most decorated karate instructors in the world -- S. Srinivasan of India.

S. Srinivasan is the Grand Master and founder of the Indian karate style of bino-ryu and he is set to arrive in this country in March for a one-week visit at the invitation of the Zimbabwe Bino-ryu Karate-do Association.

During the visit, he is expected to confer the style's local Branch Chief, Jairos Manjoro, with the title of Shihan.

A Shihan (Master) is a karate title, which is conferred to instructors who are above third dan blackbelt holders.

And S. Srinivasan's expected arrival in March follows Manjoro's visit to India at the beginning of August this year where he attended a two-week advanced training and grading programme at the style's headquarters in Hyderabad.

At the completion of that training and grading programme in Hyderabad, Manjoro graduated from being a third dan blackbelt holder to a fourth dan blackbelt holder.

At the moment, Manjoro is ranked as a fourth dan instructor and according to the international rules governing the bino-ryu style, he will only be conferred with the title of Shihan by the style's Grand Master, S. Srinivasan, in his (Manjoro's) home soil.

And now all is set for S. Srinivasan to pay a one-week visit to Zimbabwe for the installation ceremony in Harare.

S. Srinivasan recently confirmed from his base in Hyderabad that he will be paying a visit to this country in March.

According to the itinerary that he sent from Hyderabad last week, apart from elevating Manjoro to a Shihan, S. Srinivasan will also conduct self-defence classes and coaching clinics for local karatekas.

He will also oversee a grading examination for local karatekas who practice the style of bino-ryu.

"During my stay in Zimbabwe, I will, on Day Two, hold a bino-ryu karate basic training for all students before holding a black belt kata training session the next day," S. Srinivasan said from his base in Hyderabad.

Day Four will see him holding a test and upgrading blackbelt holders before running an open seminar for all style instructors in karate and kobudo (dragon stick-bo, sai or nunchaku) on the fifth day.

The last two days will see him sight-seeing some of the country's holiday resorts before returning to his base in Hyderabad in India.

S. Srinivasan's travel and accommodation expenses will be met by the Zimbabwe Bino-ryu Karate-do Association who are currently running around to find sponsors to fund the Grand Master's stay in this country.

During his visit to Zimbabwe, the Grand Master will be accompanied by one of the style's top instructors from India.

Manjoro said yesterday that S. Srinivasan's visit to this country will boost the image of the sport of karate in this country.

"I think he is the second high profile karate instructor that will be coming to visit this country in the history of karate in Zimbabwe.

"And that is why we are kindly appealing for sponsorship in the form of accommodation for two people for one week, preferably at one of Harare's top hotels.

"We would also like to take this opportunity to advertise Zimbabwe as a safe destination in the world for tourists.

"After his stay in Zimbabwe, we are optimistic that S. Srinivasan is going to sell this country as one of the safest destinations in the world," Manjoro said.

S. Srinivasan - a 10th dan blackbelt holder - with his vast technical and organisational background in various martial arts for more than three decades, is the founder of bino-ryu.

He became the Grand Master of bino-ryu by introducing the unique Indian karate style in 1987 before it got recognition in 1993.

Bino-ryu, which is being practiced by more than one million karate students all over the world, is considered to be one of the finest forms of self-defence since it incorporates the unique fighting methods of Indian warriors coupled with the invincible defence techniques of Chinese and Japanese martial arts.

Bino-ryu thus inculcates the latest fighting methods for practical usage while retaining the tradition and grace of ancient martial arts.